Tyler contacted me a little over a week before Christmas and let me know he was going to propose to his girlfriend Lindsay at Beaumont Tower on campus at MSU. He wondered if I’d hide around in the bushes and take some photos of it for him. Really. Who was I to say no to such an offer?

I first met Tyler and Lindsay at my dear friends Alli and Sam’s wedding this summer. I was so excited for this opportunity to be a part of their story. Tyler planned the whole thing out. Alli and her friend were in on it too, pretending to be a half an hour late for lunch so Tyler could ask Lindsay to take a walk. A walk in the freezing cold temps while they waited for their friends who were never late. Lindsay admitted later she knew something was up and Tyler was acting “weird”.

I had never photographed a proposal and was admittedly a little nervous as to when to start shooting. While I wanted to capture every single second of it, I also didn’t want to interrupt this special moment, and didn’t want to start shooting while Tyler was telling her all of the important words he wanted to say. I started shooting just at the end of his words when I knew she knew what was happening- seconds before he got down on that knee.

I had a second shooter- Chloe with me so we were able to capture all of the proposal in perfect rhythm without moving from our spots. I have to admit though that my favorite moment was probably when we did start to move and she knew we were photographing them and asked Tyler- “Who are these people?” It was literally the best. We all laughed pretty hard.

After the proposal, we just walked around taking photos and taking in the beautiful freshly fallen snow from the night before, and laughing about what had just taken place. Tyler had planned a dinner with their family later that evening and I think Lindsay was just in shock from it all, but from her face, clearly overjoyed.

These life moments we get to be a part of are big. This is not lost on me. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to be a part of these moments in your lives friends. Thank you Tyler for trusting us to be a part of this moment for you two.

-Jamie